Mass Effect 3: Destroy
by TTP Kacey
Summary: A novelization of the Mass Effect 3 Destroy ending, in chapter format. My first Fanfic. Rated T for language and violence.
1. Prologue

~Note: This is my first fanfic, feel free to tell me if it sucks, but constructive criticism only please. This is a novelization of the destroy ending~

Shepard tried to keep calm. She could handle the Collectors. But this... there was a lot at stake here. If she died here, there was no hope. She was the galaxy's last chance to beat the Reapers.

Shepard switched out the thermal clip in her M-8 Avenger. "Garrus... are you sure you're ready?"

The Turian gave her a concerned stare. "If anyone should be asked that question, it's you, Allison. I'm fine. I'm pretty sure I've got this..." he said, before letting out a small chuckle, "but if I don't, see you in the bar."

"Shepard, how was that Hanar poetry yesterday?" joked Liara, sipping from a bottle of water, waiting to begin the final sprint for the crucible.

"Aww, shut it T'Soni. Get ready." Shepard turned to Garrus. "Garrus... In case one of us doesn't come back..."

He cut her off. "Allie, don't even think about it like that. We're in this together. You go, I go. These last few years have been some of the best of my life, even though I've nearly died on multiple counts. Hell, I took a missile to the face under your watch. You honestly think I'd back out now, when it really counts?"

"No, that's not at all what I meant!" Shepard yelled. "I meant... I meant.. Damnit, I meant I love you Garrus. You better come back."

"It'd be an awful empty galaxy without you." He whispered as they embraced. "Come on, let's make sure there'll be a galaxy to be empty in the first place."

Around this time the rest of the Alliance troops showed up, what was left of them. A Krogan dropship landed off to the right, in the rubble of an office building. As the door slid open, Shepard was shocked to see Grunt and several of his Krogan teammates unload and come to greet her. Turians unloaded from a truck. Quarian snipers gave the all clear from rooftops. They were as ready as they would be. Off in the distance, Geth fighters engaged a Reaper.

More and more of Shepard's comrades showed up. As they were preparing to go, Shepard felt a metallic hand on her shoulder. Legion stood behind her. "Shepard-Commander? We have decided to assist you in activating the crucible."

"Legion, we're glad you're here. You sure you're ready to do this?"

"Yes. We do not fear death the way Organics do. We are willing to do what is necessary, regardless of the outcome."

"Okay then." Shepard said, not sure what to say. It's not like there were any emotional sentiments to be had with a machine. Still, she had an attachment to Legion. She wanted him to survive. "Legion, upload a backup of yourself to a remote server that'll survive the reaper attack.

"Done. Shepard-Commander.. Tali'Zorah answered this question but I never received your response and since we are not organic and can only compute, not think... Do Geth have souls?"

"Legion, I can't speak for the geth. However, if a single Geth has a soul, it's you."

"Wouldn't that mean that only part of us would have a soul?"

"Fair enough. One thousand of you have souls. Satisfied?"

"We can accept this answer."

"Good. Let's go.

With conversations over, goodbyes finish, and prayers said, the sprint began.


	2. The Sprint

The sprint began.

Hundreds of humans, Asari, Turian, Krogan, Geth and Quarian troops ran for the Crucible. The Reaper fired, killing most of them before half of the sprint was finished. Mauraders appeared, and began firing. Shepard, not wanting to slow down to fire her rifle, settled for firing her sidearm while still maintaining her sprint.

Husks sprinted from all directions towards the group of soldiers. One tackled Liara, and managed to bruise her face fairly well before she managed to use her Omniblade to decapitate the husk. Grabbing her sidearm, she got back up and continued moving, although slower.n

Shepard had husks closing in around her. When she came near face to face with a maurader, she simply extended her omniblade and veered to the left, skimming it's neck with the blade without slowing down. Firing a few rounds from her pistol at the husks to her left, she continues running.

Legion, still leading a squad of Geth, confronts a group of Mauraders. His second in command almost instantly takes a round in the optical sensor, and with the gaping hole in its head, falls to the ground. The rest of the squad continues fighting, and as they are doing so, they are swarmed by Husks. Legion continues fighting, until a husk rips off his left leg. Legion finishes the husk, but is unable to move.

Meanwhile, Garrus is running, sniper rifle in hand, firing rounds as he runs. He takes a round in the shoulder, which he shrugs off and continues firing.

Shepard is almost to the crucible. She tries to raise Anderson.

"Anderson, I'm nearly there. Oh _shit! _That reaper's about t-"

She was cut short by the deafening blast of a Reaper firing. The Reaper's blast hits near Shepard and she is knocked out cold.

Several Minutes Later

Shepard awakens to ringing ears and terrible pain.

_Mental check, Allie. You're in pain. You're not dead. This is fine. You'll be fine. Is Garrus okay? God.. no time for that. Need to get to the Catalyst._

She forces herself to open her eyes. She is horrified. Everything is on fire. She can barely make out through the smoke gunfire, and she recognizes Liara's voice, grunting while fighting off husks. She hears a sharp _agh_ and the gunfire ceases. Liara T'Soni was killed.

She stands up, digs until she finds her sidearm, and begins limping, her legs in agonizing pain. _Ignore it Allie. There's no time._

More horrors are to come. She happens upon what she thinks is a Quarian lying in a pool of red blood. The fire has burned it's clothes in armor. _Dear God.. don't be Tali._ Shepard gingerly turns the body over. A purple face mask, riddled with bullet holes and cracks. Tali's gold chestpiece is visible through the ash. _Shit._

Shepard tries her hardest to speak. She eventually manages to sputter "Keelah Se'lai." However, thanks to her mouth full of dirt and ash, it sounds like "Kufilla seleh". Close enough. Shepard limps on.

She doesn't want any more of it. Had it not taken so much to get here, she would have just killed herself. _It'd be easy. No pain. Bullet in the mouth. I'll never need to know what happens tonight._ But no. These Reapers are going to fucking get it.

She hears gunfire. She hurries to help whoever is in combat. To her great joy, she sees Garrus, alive, and fighting the reapers. Shepard joins him. Descending from an unseen location, a Banshee drifts in front of the piles of dead Husks and Mauraders. Shepard and Vakarian open fire, but before either one can do any damage, the Banshee is in front of Garrus and slices a claw across his chest.

"You'll pay for that, _bitch!_" Shepard screamed, enraged at the injury of her friend, her partner. Shepard grabs the Banshee by the neck before it can back away, and sticks the pistol in its mouth. "Scream at this." Shepard said, prior to emptying the thermal clip into the Asari-Reaper's head. Dead, Shepard let the body drop to the ground, then hurried to Garrus.

Garrus was bleeding, but was alive. "Hey, thanks for that. Are you okay?" the Turian asked her. _Garrus is bleeding out and he's thinking about me._

"Garrus, you were just shot and slashed across the chest by a Reaper and you're asking me if I'm okay? Look, you think you can come with me?"

"Sorry... But I don't think I can. I think I broke my leg when that _thing _threw me." At this point Shepard was crouching next to Garrus. "Here," Garrus said, while reaching down to his chest wound, running his finger through the blue blood, then drawing a G on Shepard's cheek. "Excuse the insubordination, but your boyfriend has an order for you: Come back alive."

Shepard gave him a kiss, and gave him a quick embrace, careful to not touch his wounds. "I will. I promise."

"Oh, and if you see Harbringer, tell him I said we're going to assume control of his ass and send him back to whatever hell he came from."

Shepard grinned, and began limping torwards the crucible. Garrus sighed, and waited.


End file.
